Collapsible crate



Dec. 21 1926. 1,611,629

E. ARTAS COLLAPSIBLE CRA' IE Filed Dec. 2, 1925 Patented Dec. 21, 1926.

nmrsn stares EDWARD ARMS, on nntswonrn, Kansas;

COLLAPSIBLE CRATE.

Application filed December My present invention pertains to collapsible crates and it has for one of its objects the provision of a simpleand strongcollapsihle crate adapted when in use to-he'reduced to a. pac :ageot' small compass andto be set up and locked in set upstate so that there is no liability-colt it being casually or accidentally'col-lapsed or folded.

Another object oi the invention is the provision in a. collapsible crate of novel and advantageous locking means, susceptible oi readymanipulation and yet not liable under any condition to permit of asual collapse oi? the crate.

Another ohject is the provision in a crate oi peculiar and advantageous means where hytwo doors may be locked through the medium oi a single locking unit.

To the attaim'nent oi the foregoing, the invention consists in the improvei'nent as hereinafter described anddelinitely claimed.

in the acconipanying drawings, forming part of this specification Figure 1 is-a longitudinal vertical section showing my novel crate asset up ready for use.

Figure 2 is an enlarged end elevation of the same, showing one of the locking provisions.

Figure 3 is an edge elevation of the crate in collapsed state.

Figure 4 is a transverse section through the crate when set up ready :for use;

Figure 5 is a fragu'ientary horizontal section taken in the plane indicated by the line 5-5 of Figure 1 and showing my novel means for securing Iiir closed position the slidalole doors of the crate.

Figure 6 is an enlarger detail view illustrative of the elements comprised in a locking provision at one end of the crate.

Similar i'iun'ieralsof reference designate corresponding parts in all of the views of the drawings.

As illustrated the preferred embodiment of my invention includes a bottom formed of two sections 1 of wood, laid'on an intermediate metallic plate 2, the said plate 2 being equipped at points h tween the confronting ends of the wooden sections 1 with eyes i marginal flange 1 also supports 2, 1925.: Serial No. 72,721.

the wooden sections 1, the said flange't be- .ing preferably oi" metal and being provided witha horizontalv portion 5 on which are eyes 6. The side sections of the crate are designated generally by 7 and the top section is designated; generally by 8; Each of these sections is formedhy ametallic frame and metallic rod, and by comparison of'the figures of the drawings it will be noted that the metallic frame of the top section 8 is of angle form in cross sectionfwhile the metallic frame in each of the side sections or walls 7 is flat. I would also have it understood at this point that the sidesections or walls are provided with fend flanges S) which rest at the outer sidesot the end walls orsections and also rest atthe outer sides of the ends of the bottom and top sections or walls. The

several sections .or walls described are hingedly connectedtogether as designated by. 10 andhest shown in Figure 3, and hence the crate is capable of heingcollapsed and re duced to a package o'lt'ithe'si'liiall compass shown in Figure 3 for return shipn'ient or storage. The crate is also adapted tohe set up ready for use as shown in Figures 1, 2 and 41, and'in this connection it will he understood thateach side section or wall and each end section or wall as well as the top section or wall includes spaced metallic rods. The rods 11 of the side'sections and the top section are carried by each of said sections beinginterposed between opposite portions of the sections and interlocked with or connected to opposite portions of the sections, the connections of the ends of said rods being preferablywiixed. The ends of the crate are formed by spaced metallic rods 12 which are interposed between and are interlocked with or connected to eyes on the bottom wall or section and the top wall or section. This manner of arrangin'gand connecting the end'rods 12 will enable the said rods 12 to efi'ectively close the ends of the set up crate, and yet the said rods 12 will lend themselves to the compact collapsing of the crate as in Figure 3.

By comparison of Figures 1 and 4, it will he noted that the crate is provided with a partition formed by a plurality oi? rods 13, spaced apart, and having eyes at their lower ill and upper ends, the lower eyes being inter-i locked with the eyes 3 on the plate 2', and the upper eyes being interlocked with complementary eyes on the top section or wall 8.

In Figures 1, 4; and 5, I illustrate a door construction which constitutes a feature of my invention. The said door construction comprises longitudinal guide rods 14L carried by one side section and spaced one above the other and also arranged in pairs at opposite sides of the transverse center of the crate. doors 15 movable rectilinear-1y or slidable to and fro on the rods 14 and each adapted to control one rectangular opening 16 in the said side or wall of the crate. A bar 17 is interposed between and fixed to upper and lower bars of the side section or wall referred to, said upright bar 17 being provided at an intermediate point in its length with an eye 18 or more properly speaking a staple and horizontally swingable loops or hasps 19 hingedly connected at 20 to the confronting ends of the doors 15 and adapted to be swung horizontally into and'out of engagement with the staple 18. Manifestly when the hasps or loops 19 are swung one over the other on the staple 18, and the bow of a lock is secured in the bi -ht portion of the staple 18, both of the doors 15 will be securely locked in closed position to guard theopenings 16 ,and it Will also be understood that when the lock is removed and the hasps 19 are swung off the staple 18, the doors 15 may be moved endwise outwardly to uncover the openings 16 for convenient access to the interiorof the crate.

In order to preclude accidental collapsing of the crate I provide at opposite ends thereof the locking means best shown in Figures 2 and 6. The said locking provisions are identical in construction and therefore a detailed description of the one illustrated in Figure 6 will suffice to impart an understanding of both. It will be noted by reference to Figure 6 that each locking means comprises a bar and a latching member 31. Each bar 30 is hingedly connected to a side wall or section of the crate as designated by 32 and adjacent to its opposite end the bar 30 which is possessed of resiliency is provided with a lateral pin having an aperture fi l, the said pin 33 being adapted to be removably arranged in an aperture ill in one upstanding end flange of the bottomsection or wall. Manifestly the pin 33 may be swung into and out of the aperture 34, and when said pin 33 is engaged as shown in Figure 2 with the bottom the bar 30 will aflinthe said side section with respect to the bottom and hence will prevent collapsing of the crate, while when the bar 30 is pressed laterally and the pin is withdrawn from the aperture 3%, the side wall will be left free to swing on the bottom wall or section for the collapsing of the crate. The latchng member 31 is hinged at 35 to the bar 30 and is adapted to be moved into the aperture in the pin 33 for the purpose of preventing accidental disp acement of said pin 33. lVith a locking provision characterized as described at each end of the crate, the novel crate manifestly will not be liable to accidentally collapse or fold, and yet when it is desired to collapse or fold the crate the same may be readily accomplished after the locking members 31 are disengaged from the apertures in the pins 33, and the said pins 33 are withdrawn from the apertures 34: in the end flanges of the bottom 1, whereupon the bars 30 will be rendered loose and will not interfere in any measure with the quick and easy collapsing of the crate.

It will be apparent from the foregoing that notwithstanding the capacity of function ascribed to my novel crate, the said crate particularly when formed of metal is strong and durable and at the same time is not unduly heavy; and it will also be apparent that the crate is adapted to be readily collapsed and set up and secured in state for use without the employment of skilled labor and without the assistance of tools of any description.

lVhile I have specifically described the construction and relative arrangement of the parts embraced in the present and preferred embodiment of my invention, I do not desire to be understood as confining myself to the specific construction and arrangement of parts as disclosed, my invention being defined by my appended claims within the scope of which changes in structure and arrangement may be made without departure from my invention.

Having described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patcnt, is

1. In a collapsible crate and in combination, a bottom wall, a hingedly connected side section, a bar possessed of resiliency and hingedly connected to said side section and having a lateral apcrtured pin adapted to be inserted through an aperture in a portion of the bottom wall, and a locking member hingedly connected to said bar at an intermediate point in the length thereof and having a portion adapted to be removably inserted in the aperture in said pin.

2. A collapsible crate comprising a bottom wall, side walls hingedly connected to the bottom wall, and a top wall hingedly connected to the side walls; the said bottom wall and the said side walls having end flanges arranged in lapped relation, and the top wall having end flanges arranged between the end flanges of the side walls, end rods spaced apart and interposed between and flexibly connected to end portions of the bottom wall and top all, and means for detachably securing the crate when set up ii ii ready for use against collapsing; the said hingedly connected to said bar at an interdetaohable securing ineans made up of a bar mediate point in the length thereof and havpossessed of resiliency and hingedly con ing a portion adapted to be reinovably inl nected to one side wall or section and having sorted in the aperture in said pin.

a lateral apertured pin adapted to be in- In testimony whereof I affix my signature. serted through an aperture in an end flange oi the bottom Wall, and a locking member EDWARD ARTAS. 

